Saturday, April 26, 2014 will be the third annual Crawlin’ for a Cause fundraiser. The event is set to run from 8 a.m. to midnight at Outlaw Off-Road Park, and 100% of the proceeds will go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Crawlin’ for a Cause first came about after the Koerber family of the Cape/Jackson area received some disheartening news. In November of 2011, Justin Koerber was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Unfortunately, he was not unfamiliar with the disease, as his father was diagnosed with MS more than fifteen years ago. In 2012 the Koerber family organized the first Crawlin’ for a Cause event to raise money to help find a cure for the disabling disease.

Since its inception, Crawlin’ for a Cause has had tremendous success. Last year alone the event had over 1,500 participants and raised more than $20,000! This year, event coordinators are hoping to draw in at least 1,800 participants, and, given the list of festivities set for the event, they can expect to easily achieve that goal.

The main event at Crawlin’ for a Cause is the non-stop mudding action from local mudding-enthusiasts. Participants are welcome to bring their own rock crawlers, mud trucks, 4-wheelers, ATV's, or dirt bikes. Those who would rather sit back and enjoy the show from the sidelines should remember to bring a lawn chair and prepare to get muddy!

In addition to the mudding festivities that will be going on throughout the day, there will also be a Mud Run with an obstacle course. Some of the obstacles in the course include a potato sack race, mud walls, a mud pit, and an army crawl, among others. Divisions for the Mud Run are split between men and women, ages 4-9, 10-15, and 16 & older. Registration will be at the t-shirt stand from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and races will start at 2 p.m.

The Mud Run entry fee for each runner 10 and older is $5, and first place in each category for 10 and above will receive a cash prize. Entry for kids 9 and under is $1, and each will receive a free kids meal coupon (for McDonald’s or Burger King), as well as a coupon for a free ice cream cone from American Ice Cream! If the child is there with a friend and their parents are not present, a signed form will be required ahead of time in order to participate.

This year, there is a raffle for a beautiful 1971 Chevy Truck (check here for pictures)! Raffle tickets are one for $50, or three for $100, and can be purchased until about 4 p.m. Saturday. The drawing will take place at Crawlin’ for a Cause Saturday afternoon. After the initial draw for the truck, the drawing will continue for more prizes, including beer for a year from Bluff City Beer, Cardinal tickets, and more!

Like all great charitable events, Crawlin’ for a Cause has some amazing t-shirts available for purchase. Hundreds of participants have already taken advantage of an early pre-order of shirts. There are still a few remaining, but if the size you need isn’t available, there will be a re-order list at the t-shirt stand (for the Keep Calm & Crawl shirts only). Any shirts ordered Saturday should be ready a couple weeks after the event!